The Pentax Espio 838 is one of those cameras you often discover in drawers or at flea markets without immediately realizing that it's actually quite a practical piece of equipment. Dating from the second half of the 1990s, it has a solid 38-80mm zoom lens and was clearly designed for people who just want to start snapping away—without a camera manual in their lap.
What's it good at? Snapshots, street photography, everyday life. The zoom is sufficient to cover everything from classic wide-angle to a light portrait focal length. The autofocus is accurate enough for most situations. There's also a built-in flash, which isn't annoying—but it's there when you need it.
Technical details
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Lens: 38–80mm f/4.8–9.5
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Autofocus: yes, infrared-based
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Flash: built-in, with red-eye reduction and slow sync
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Shutter: approx. 1/320s to 1 second
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Film: 35mm film, ISO per DX code (25–1600)
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Film transport: automatic forward and backward
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Power supply: 1x CR123A lithium battery
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Weight: approx. 245 g
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Year of construction: approx. 1997
How she performs in everyday life
The Espio 838 is a "take-along" camera. It starts up quickly, responds quickly, and does exactly what you expect. The zoom is motorized, but quiet enough. Sure, it reaches its limits in low light, but that's true of every camera in this class.
The image quality? More than decent for this price range. It delivers clean, balanced images, especially in daylight. It's at its best at 38mm – the further you zoom, the softer the image becomes, but that's perfectly normal for such compacts.
Conclusion
The Pentax Espio 838 is a solid everyday camera that doesn't stand out, but does exactly what's right. It's not a cult camera, nor a collector's item, but it's a reliable companion for anyone who simply enjoys analog photography. Highly recommended for beginners or as a second camera.
